House Call
by Ocracoke0Island-Dreams
Summary: Bunnymund gets a surprise visit from his least favorite companion. The last thing the Easter Bunny wants to do is help Jack Frost, but when it becomes a dire situation, what is he going to do? Based upon a writing prompt I received from SparkleWolf7000. The book cover artwork is property of SparkleWolf7000 as well.
1. Unwanted Visitors

**I decided to post this as its own separate story. We'll see how far I can continue it. **

* * *

I trudged through my warren angrily, following the lightly frosted trail that the winter spirit leaves behind him wherever he goes.

"I swear when I get my paws on him…" I said muttering under my breath. After following the trail for a few more minutes, I finally could see his figure ahead in the distance. I narrowed my eyes; I was growing tired of Jack coming and going whenever he pleased unannounced. Freezing anything he wished, and disturbing the warrior eggs; I had too many complaints to count from them relating to Frost. It was about time I set the kid straight.

I began walking towards him, closing the distance between us so he couldn't make a quick escape. I smirked; it was about time I finally nailed down on him.

"Jack! We need to talk. I am sick and tired of you just wanderin' in here whenever ya want unannounced. Not all of us have time to waste playin' your stupid games and whatnot- Jack, are you even listening to me?"

Jack had stopped walking, but hadn't turned around to face me. I continued walking towards him anyways, getting angrier the closer I got.

"Frostbite! Listen here you ungrateful-" I stopped myself midsentence as the immortal teen slowly turned around to look at me. I simply stared in shock.

He was hunched over, clenching his right side and leaning on his staff heavily. His head lifted to look me in the eye, and I could see evident bruising all over his face, perhaps even a black eye. I saw tears streaming from his eyes, freezing half way down his face as I noticed his body shaking. The part that disturbed me the most however was the dark, deep-red spot bleeding through his blue hoodie that lay underneath his hand he was using to grab his side.

My mindset instantly changed from punishment to concern, and guilt pushed itself into my mind. I ran forward just as Jack began to collapse and caught him in my arms. I looked down at him.

_What happened?_

* * *

I carried Jack to the main quarters of the warren carefully, and laid him down on the closest thing I had to a bed; an elevated patch of fresh, soft grass. I quickly called a few of the eggs to me and ordered them to gather up all the medical supplies they could find. I then turned my full attention to Jack.

I looked at the red stain on his hoodie, and decided it had gotten larger since I first saw it. Concern and worry flustered my stature.

_The wound must be deep and new. But who could have done this to Jack? The only person who could have done it is… No, it's impossible. He's gone; at least he should be, for a little while longer._

I hesitated as I went to lift his hoodie to look at the wound. What was the right thing to do in this situation?

"Should I contact the other guardians before treating him? No, what if it takes to long for word to reach them, and Jack gets even worse?" I started to pace around the small, dimly lit room. I hadn't needed to deal with an injured companion in so long; I had forgotten my common sense when it came to stuff like this. I quickly shook myself out of it.

"Treat him first; see the damage. Then contact the others. Yes, that sounds good."

I walked back over to the unconscious winter spirit. It seemed as if he was paler then he was a few seconds ago, if that was even possible. I needed to treat and close up that wound quickly; he was losing too much blood.

_Jack may be immortal, but if he sustains enough injuries… the Man in the Moon may take pity on him. _I closed my eyes and shuttered; the thought of losing Jack broke my heart. No matter how much the kid aggravated me, he really was a good person. He was like family now.

I looked behind me at the medical supplies the eggs had gathered. It was time to get started. I hopped over and searched through the items. I smiled as I found the gauze, anti-bacterial gel, and the sewing equipment. I gathered the items in my arms and walked back over to Jack, laying the items near his head. I looked over his head; the bruising seemed to be minor, a few scrapes here and there. I decided I would come back to his head; the blood stain on his hoodie made me worry about that wound more. I swallowed and sighed nervously before taking off his hoodie.

After I had gotten it off him, I blinked, making sure I was seeing right.

I had expected the deep, bloody wound in his side. The stain on his hoodie had already notified me of that. What I hadn't been ready for were the multiple cuts, scrapes, gashes, and bruises that lay across his abdomen. The skin appeared to already be scarring; how I didn't know. The injuries couldn't have been more than a few hours or at most a day old. I turned my head away for a moment, recollecting myself before turning Jack onto his good side. I quickly regretted it.

On his back, the cuts and bruises were similar to those on his abdomen; except for the fact that they fit together like letters, spelling out something, or rather someone's name.

_Pitch Black._

I cursed under my breath before going to work attending the boy's injuries. The scarring had to be old; we had defeated Pitch months ago. It had almost been a year, actually. Jack must have simply kept these injuries a secret, not wanting to worry us at the time. Or at least that is what I hoped.

_Where else or who else could Jack get injured like this?_ I heard the little voice in the back of my head point out; the question ran through my mind. Was Pitch really back so soon? We were sure he would be weakened for much longer! He had really taken a beating. But if he was, why is he targeting Jack? Because he had refused to be on the Nightmare King's side?

_Why single Jack out? Sure, he may have a done a lot during the battle, but Sandy gave Pitch the worst of what he sustained. Not that Sandy deserves this, not at all. _

I sighed; I definitely needed to consult with the others on this. But right now, Jack's well-being was first priority. The topic of who did this could wait; I needed to make sure Jack survived the night first.

Shortly after finishing attending to all his wounds, I started to make my way out to my own quarters when I heard Jack coming around. I spun on my heels and hopped over to his side, crouching down to meet his eye level.

His face contorted in pain, just now registering the injuries on his body before he opened his eyes partially. He looked at me and tried to sit up.

"S-Sorry for coming in un…unannounced. Y-Your warren was closest…" I put up my hand to stop him and gently pushed him back down.

"Never mind that, I overreacted. You shouldn't talk, ya lost a lot of blood. What happened? Were you attacked? Nod if yes."

Jack nodded.

"Do you know who it was?"

The winter spirit looked up and to the right for a moment before shaking his head. I sighed. He must have gotten hit from behind.

"Alright, now you just rest, okay mate? I'm gonna contact the others. If ya need me, just, uh catch one of the egg's attentions. Okay?"

He nodded before settling back down. I looked at him and sighed before walking out. A feeling of dread loomed over me, and I looked back in at the winter spirit. He was already asleep, a look of peacefulness on his face, and I could see his chest rising up and down steadily. I shook it off. I was getting worried over nothing. Jack was going to be fine, and I needed to go contact the others. But first, I wanted to get an idea of what or who had attacked the boy.

I headed to another part of the warren, following what was left of Frostbite's trail. _Perhaps if I follow this, I'll find what attacked him._ I followed it for a couple of hours; Jack must have really gotten lost. Not that I could blame him, it must have given him a splitting head ache trying to focus with his injuries. As I walked, I contemplated who could be behind this again.

I hoped dearly that it wasn't Pitch. We didn't need to deal with him again so soon. I continued to walk, following the thin layer of frost that covered the ground before coming face to face with a side of the warren. I looked around, trying to see which tunnel Jack had probably come out of. I shrugged and tapped my foot on the ground.

I opened all the tunnels and started to examine them when the feeling of dread returned to me. I lifted my foot to try and shut the tunnels when a dark shadow swept past me, menacing laughter echoing throughout the area. I grabbed my boomerangs and got in a fighting stance, just as the shadows began to come together and form a black swirling mass I could only guess to be the Nightmare King. I narrowed my eyes and raised my arm to throw the first boomerang, only to find that the figure wasn't attacking. Actually, the dark sand had stopped swirling, and I still couldn't see the figures features.

_Well, it's definitely Pitch. He must be too weak to completely reform his body. Good. _I stared at the dark figure, waiting for it to speak.

_Ah, Bunnymund. How's Australia been? The weather good now that you finally have that winter spirit as an ally? _

The grip on my boomerang tightened at the fact of Pitch even daring to talk about Jack right now. "What do you want, Pitch?"

The shadow fazed a little as laughter rang out again. _What do I want? I do not want anything, from you anyway. I simply came to finish what I started. That boy is mine, Bunnymund. I marked him the day you "guardians" thought you protected all the children and defeated me. It seems you forgot to protect one child, however. _

I tensed up; Jack had been with us almost the entire battle. When could have Pitch possibly _marked _Jack? "What do you mean 'marked'?"

_Do not pretend you don't know. You must have seen it while you dressed his injuries. I scratched my name on his back, letting my nightmare sand seep into his blood. Sure I could have simply let the sand dissolve into him, but that would have been too painless. I got to see him suffer, and yet he doesn't even know the full extent of what that really did to him. Alas, he'll know soon enough. _The shadow seemed to straighten itself out before lifting off into the air, returning to a swirling dark mass. _I bid you farewell, Bunnymund. _All of a sudden at least a dozen nightmares appeared around us, seeming to form out of nowhere. I turned around sharply, trying to think of the best action to take. Before I could get a word out, the swirling mass of black sand zoomed away from me in the direction of my quarters.

I cursed under my breath as the nightmares began to swarm and attack me. I was so furious with the Nightmare King and with myself for leaving Jack unattended that pushing through and destroying the creatures was a breeze. As soon as I had cleared a path through Pitch's creations, I made I break on all fours for the warren. I could still see the black mass of swirling nightmare sand; Pitch being weakened and split in two areas at the moment must have taken more out of him than he had anticipated. I thanked Mother Earth for that and raced past him inside, dodging the eggs as they ran around in a panic. I stood up and turned into the room I had placed Jack. My heart began to race as I realized he was tossing and turning in his sleep, kicking out at nothing.

_Nightmares; Pitch must already be trying to work the sand in his system. I need to wake him up and get him out of here! _I jumped over to his side and began shaking him as gently as I could.

"Jack! Jack, mate it's just a dream! You need to wake up!" He didn't respond to me at all. He began to yell out, flailing his arms. I sighed and slapped him across the face; his eyes shot open. He looked at me in a daze before putting his hand to his cheek. I grabbed his staff and shoved it in his hands before lifting him up in my arms.

He was startled and tried to get out of my grasp before grabbing his side; he probably was going to be in pain for the duration of the ordeal. "Wha-"

I twisted around and began to run back out. "No time to explain; I gotta get you outta here. We need to make it to the surface." Thankfully Jack stopped moving and nodded, confused. I ran through the halls of my quarters before turning on my heels again to make a sharp turn out the door when the shadow appeared in front of me. I could now see Pitch's bright yellow eyes staring at us. I stopped and stared at him and the sand began to engulf the exit.

_I'm sorry, but he is not going anywhere._

* * *

**This prompt was suggested to me by SparkleWolf7000. At first I had no idea what to do for it, and then this popped up in my head! I feel bad because I keep doing prompts I get more recently. Don't worry though guys; I will do the older ones! I just need to get around to them. These are just fresh in my mind and when it's fresh I NEED to get it down; Thus why I have two notebooks at school now **_**just **_**for these one-shots, although one is supposed to be for my drawings. ;) **

**Also, this might be the last update until next week. I have a lot of school work to do and personal problems to address. Sorry. :(  
**

**ANSWER IN A REVIEW: What do you guys think is going to happen next? Will they get away? Or what do you think the nightmare sand in Jack's body is going to do? Leave a review and share what you think! C:**


	2. Taken

** This story is rated T for a reason. Minor violence and blood, and suggested themes.**

* * *

I stared at the looming dark figure in front of us. Jack simply laid in my arms, frozen in fear. I looked around slowly, watching as the nightmares tore apart the walls of the burrow; the eggs were running around in a panic, few trying to defend themselves as the nightmares easily crushed them. I narrowed my eyes and took a step back; Pitch was not getting a hold of the winter spirit again.

"You're not gonna lay a hand on him, Pitch. Not if I can do anything 'bout it."

_"Come now, Bunny. We all know you don't even like Jack. He's only caused you trouble. He has only put you and the other guardians in danger, and now he has put your entire realm in trouble. Are you really willing to risk what is left of your civilization just for a disrespectful immortal teenager?" _

I felt darkness begin to surround me, and my mind started to grow fuzzy. Shaking my head, I realized the Nightmare King was trying to get inside my mind. Glancing down at Jack, I could tell he was worried I would listen to the shadow man. He seemed to believe in what he was hearing; Jack wasn't one known for much self-confidence. Then I noticed darkness beginning to cloud Jack's eyes; the nightmare king was gaining ground within him and I heard Jack whimper as he tried to fight it. I needed to get both of us out of here.

"What do ya want with Jack anyway, Pitch?"

Maniacal laughter filled the air. _"What does it matter to you? Really, what does it matter? You never wanted the boy to be a guardian anyway. I would be taking him off your hands; he'd cause you guardians too much trouble for his worth."_ Shadows crept up to Jack and I, and I felt them beginning to tug at Jack, trying to get him out of my arms. I tightened my grip, trying my best to ignore Jack's whimpering. His eyes were closed now, nightmares more than likely playing throughout his mind.

I held my ground against the Nightmare King. "Jack is a guardian. He earned his spot with us when he helped us defeat you! He is different now; he has learned from his mistakes."

_"What's to say he won't make more? Who is to say he'll stick around? He's been ignored by you "guardians" for 300 years. You think he just forgave you? That everything is okay now?"_

I stared at Pitch, processing what he said before looking down at Jack. The longer I thought about it, the more worried I became. It was true; Jack probably did have a grudge against us. He never talked about it, but they all could tell whenever they said the wrong thing how angry he'd get, closing off from them for weeks at a time. Or if none of them had time to "hang out" with him, he would again close himself off. What if he really did pick up and leave one day? What if he does get that mad or upset? Will he stay on our side forever?

I mentally slapped myself. Pitch was playing with my mind. I could feel him trying to plant his nightmare sand inside my head. I glared at the shadow in front of me.

"Jack is still a child. Of course he is gonna feel that way; we just gotta show him that we do care now."

Pitch seemed to narrow his eyes at me. The nightmare sand began to swirl in aggression, and the nightmares gathered behind him. _"Well, I can't let you have the chance to do that now can I?" _

My eyes widened as Pitch's eyes stared into mine. My vision began to fade as the Nightmare King started to influence my actions; I tried looking away, but he had already locked his grip on me. I felt my arms go slack, my body going numb as I watched helplessly from the corner of my eye as the shadows enveloped Jack. I heard him cry out as I fell to my knees. I looked up at the shadow man and thought I saw a smirk forming in the nightmare sand. Everything started to spin. I heard Pitch laugh as my vision slowly faded to black.

"_Thank you ever so much, Bunnymund. I'll be sure to take good care of the boy for you."_

* * *

Multiple hours must have past, and by the time I woke up, Pitch and all of his minions were long gone. I rubbed my head and stood up, examining the damage caused by the fearlings.

Most of the warren was in pieces. Normally bright green patches of grass were now brown, lifeless. What little trees there had been were mostly uprooted, lying on the ground seemingly burnt. Some of the ancient statues were even in shambles, pieces all around. I saw few warrior eggs left, trying to repair the space. I quickly called them off; telling them to look for whatever other eggs might be left. I walked over to one of the dislodged trees and sat down on it, sighing and putting my head in my paws.

_I need to contact the others. Pitch has Jack and it's my fault... _But I knew I couldn't get word to them in time; who knew what Pitch could be doing to Jack right now. I shuddered at the thought; Pitch was probably even more sadistic than any of us could imagine. I needed to find and recuse Jack as soon as possible; I now saw it as my personal responsibility. I stood up and ran back inside my quarters. I looked around, grabbed my pack and started collecting everything I might need; gauze, bandages, medical supplies, egg bombs, and extra boomerangs. I started to head out, before I stopped in front of the doorway to my own room. I glanced over at a wooden, intricately-decorated cabinet that hung above my resting spot. I hesitated before walking over to it and opening its door.

Inside was a single, golden, felt packet decorated with swirls and glitter; it was a gift from Sandman. Inside was enough dreamsand to get rid of any nightmare, no matter how severe. It was for emergencies only; I figured this was a perfect opportunity to use it. I picked it up and set it in my pack carefully, making sure the tie at the opening was secure. Quickly, I shut the cabinet and walked out of my room.

I headed outside and sniffed at the air. Figuring Pitch either took Jack to his old lair or made a new one, I still needed to pick up some sort of trail. Thankfully, I could still barely detect Jack's scent, which was one of cold air and pine. I followed it to the same wall of tunnels that Pitch had originally come in, and tapped the ground once again. All of the tunnel entrances opened, and the scent became more distinct. I smiled a little, hopeful, before hopping through the opening with Jack's scent.

_Hold on, mate. I'm on my way._

* * *

Pitch POV

The boy revealed himself to be quite a source of entertainment. Locked in chains against one of the walls of my domain, he didn't rest for a minute. For the first few hours of his kidnapping, he struggled against his restraints and screamed out as many curses as he probably knew. I simply listened from a distance, letting the boy tire himself out.

I had already done a number on him earlier- well, my nightmares had anyway. The wounds had been treated, but I planned to reopen them. Jack had caused me much pain, and it was time to return the favor.

Eventually, the winter spirit must have grown tired. His screams stopped, and he stopped struggling as much. I even saw his eyes begin to droop; he was ready to be picked apart. I smiled and dispersed into the shadows, traveling to the boy while hidden from his sight. I reformed directly in front of him, startling him awake.

"P-Pitch!" His voice was raspy, and I could see he was struggling to remain awake. I smiled again, placing my hand under his chin and lifting his head so his eyes met mine.

"Hello again, Jack. Did you enjoy your little temper tantrum?"

Jack wrenched his head out of my grip, looking to focus his eyes on anything but me. My eyes narrowed, and I repeated my previous movements, much more violently this time.

"Ah, going to give me the silent treatment now, yes? I suppose that is fair enough." I pulled away, looking down on him. I lifted my left hand and slapped him across the face. He seemed shocked by this, as he recoiled he rubbed his cheek against his shoulder and looked up at me. Pure fear was radiating off him now. I relished this and moved in close to him, simply staring directly into his blue, fear-stricken eyes. He began to shake as he backed up against the wall, trying to get away from me. It was time to have some real fun with the winter spirit.

I traced my hand up along his neck. His eyes shut tightly and he shivered under my touch. I smiled menacingly before leaning to whisper into his ear.

"You are mine now, Frost. And I'm not going to let you forget it."

Hours past, and which each blow I struck upon the immortal, physical or mentally, I found myself enjoying it more and more. It had been so long since I had been able to really use my powers at such a close range, just to simply cause harm because I wanted to. However, eventually I stopped. More fun was to be had with the boy, but I needed to allow him time to recover. It was more fun that way.

As I walked away from the winter spirit, I couldn't help but smile. I stopped and looked back at my handy work; Jack was still awake amazingly, lying on the floor huddled in a ball. He whimpered and I could see tears falling to the ground. His hoodie was torn in multiple areas, all of the bandages Bunnymund had placed on him now gone; I had ripped them off at the start. Blood was visible along the long scratches on his face, hands, and feet. The corners of his mouth were chapped; I had gagged his mouth one or two hours ago, I had grown tired of his screams no matter how much they gave me pleasure. Later I would ungag him and begin again, but for now, I simply snapped my fingers and Jack was unconscious. I had nightmares quickly fill his mind.

I walked back to the center of my lair, carefully thinking of how to proceed. The possibilities seemed to be endless. Jack could become an excellent second in command; the nightmare sand was already in his system waiting to be activated. Or I could continue to keep Jack as he is, simply torturing him for the pleasure of it. I could also hold Jack hostage and ask for another guardian; Sandman would be a great one to eliminate, but he had proven hard to beat after what had happened last time. The guardians would more than likely jump at a chance to rescue their precious, newest member from-

A sound up above me pulled me out of my thoughts. I narrowed my eyes, looking about. I slithered into the shadows, making my way towards Jack. It was time to find a new hideout; soon the guardians would be here, assuming they already weren't, looking for the boy as they knew the location of my lair. I stepped out behind Jack and grabbed him by his hood, yanking him awake and to his feet.

"Time to go, Jack," I began to drag him behind me as I made my way through the darkness, eyes darting from area to area in search of the intruder.

"Where I am going to take you, none of the guardians will ever be able to find us."

Jack started trying to fight back again, and I immediately struck him in the back of the head to stop his actions. I felt him go limp and the weight nearly caught me off guard. I summoned a nightmare to come and carry him for me before continuing towards the exit. It was then I felt another presence looming close to me. I snapped around and cautiously looked about. A few yards in front of me I saw the figure walking towards me, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Ah, Bunnymund," I gritted my teeth together as the Pooka walked into the light. "What an unpleasant surprise." He had his boomerangs in his hands, already prepared to throw them. The look on his face was enough to tell me he was not going to go down without a fight this time.

"Pitch. What have ya done with Jack?"

My eyes glanced back at the nightmare with the boy resting limply on its back. Bunnymund followed my line of sight, and I heard him gasp softly at the appearance of the winter spirit. I allowed myself to smile, proud of my handy work.

"Oh, I simply had a little fun with the boy. He truly is a source of entertainment; great for playing with my powers. He has awakened feelings I have long forgotten."

Bunnymund clenched his teeth together and I watched as his stature turned rigid. If he hadn't been furious before, he was now. I laughed.

"You surly know that this is a wasted trip; the boy is mine now, too far gone to retrieve."

"That's a lie, Pitch. The other guardians and I can help him; he's not a lost cause just 'cause of what you've done."

"Ah, that's where you are wrong, Bunny. You won't be able to help him, because you aren't going to leave." I snapped my fingers and fearlings surrounded the Easter spirit. I smirked as a look of fear crept onto the Pooka's face. I turned away before snapping my fingers again. The fearlings swarmed towards Bunnymund, quickly covering him in a sea of black.

"It was a pleasure knowing you, Bunnymund." I put my hand on the nightmare carrying Jack and started to walk away, listening to the shouts of the guardian behind me.

* * *

Bunnymund POV

Fury surged through my body as I kicked and punched away the fearlings that surrounded me. I was not letting Pitch get away with this; I would not let Jack down. Boomerangs and exploding eggs were flying every which way, and I soon had created a gap in the wall of black. Not wasting a moment, I hopped through and sprinted on all fours towards the unsuspecting Nightmare King and his Nightmare horse. I saw Jack lying unconscious on its back, eyes clenched shut. His skin was ashen, bruises and scrapes covered his face and his hair was tinted brown; probably from dried blood. I decided then to grab Jack and simply get out of here; revenge against Pitch could wait. Jack needed medical attention as soon as possible.

I increased my speed and pushed myself off the ground; jumping over the shadow man and his fearling. I snatched Jack into my arms, landed on my hind legs, and continued to run until I was outside. I heard Pitch scream in frustration behind me, and I quickly stomped on the ground, opening an entrance to the tunnels and hopped in. I shut it behind me and sprinted as fast as I could to the North Pole; my warren was no longer a safe place for Jack.

* * *

***hides under rock* I had too much fun writing this chapter. Soon Jack, you'll be happy and not being tortured, I promise! **

**As always, reviews and critiques are appreciated! C:**


	3. Nightmares at North's

**Wow, thank you for all the reviews guys! I honestly did not think many people would read any of my stories. It truly means a lot to me to hear from you, my readers! Keep the reviews coming, what do you think will happen next? What is your favorite part so far? How do you think it will end (because I am undecided and would like some ideas c; ) Hope you enjoy the chapter~**

Thankfully, I reached the Pole in good time. An opening appeared above my head and I jumped up, landing in the soft snow. I quickly located North's workshop and ran towards it. There was no time to notify him properly of my arrival; I needed to get inside right away. Jack was still unconscious in my arms, but he was plagued with nightmares and thrashed out constantly. I couldn't help but notice as dark circles had gathered under his eyes and his hair had turned from the white shade it normally was to grey. Worry trickled up my spine and I felt exhaustion stiffening my body, but I pushed it down; I needed to keep strong and calm.

I ran up to the front door and knocked as hard as I possibly could before pulling the door open; the yetis deserved some kind of warning at least. I pushed past a few who tried to stop me, trying to ask what was going on. Elves simply stood watching as I rushed to the infirmary. I hoped the yetis had enough sense to notify North of my arrival, but I didn't hesitate on it.

I kicked the door open to the infirmary and quickly laid Jack down on one of the multiple empty beds. I put his staff up against the wall near his bed. I knew if- _when, _I quickly corrected myself- he'd wake up, he would definitely want confirmation of it.

Spinning on my heels, I raced to the wall of cupboards across the room and opened them. I rifled through their contents, looking for the medical supplies I needed. It was during my search I heard North burst through the infirmary doors. He started to walk over to me, not having yet noticed Jack lying on the bed behind him.

"Bunnymund? What is going on?"

I gathered the supplies in my arms before turning around and making my way past him towards Jack. North turned around as well, and I heard him gasp; now seeing the winter spirit.

"Jack got attacked by Pitch. I don't have time to explain, just call Tooth and Sandy. We'll need all the extra hands we can get." North nodded a bit surprised, and briskly walked out of the room, already shouting commands to the elves and yetis, some of whom had been poking their heads into the infirmary.

I laid out my items on the bed across from Jack and sorted everything, beginning to block out my surroundings. The only thought running through my mind now was to help Jack. After laying everything out accordingly, I turned back to the immortal teen. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I walked over, leaning over him.

His skin was _grey, _and his hair was as well in a darker shade. He was covered in cuts and bruises, dark circles were apparent under his tightly-closed eyes. The boy's face was contorted in pain and discomfort, likely because of his injuries and nightmares. I inhaled quickly before starting; I took off his hoodie and began to go to work. North walked back in and came over to me. He stood next to me, watching my movement. I glanced over at him, and saw concern in his eyes.

"I have notified the others. They will be here as soon as they can."

I only nodded in response and looked back to Jack. I felt North rest a hand on my shoulder.

"Bunnymund, get some rest. I can take over, and you look like you could use a break. How long has Jack been like this?"

I sighed, knowing he was right and stepped back, sitting on the bed behind me. North stepped forward and quickly continued what I had been doing. I started to tell him what happened.

"Jack came to the warren yesterday in the early afternoon in bad shape; he actually passed out when I finally got to him. I had assumed he had only gotten in some kind of spat, with one of your yetis perhaps, but I wondered why he would come all the way to my warren if he was near you. After getting him back to my quarters and getting him fixed up, I left to investigate the trail he had left. I followed it for a while, probably a few hours, and I found he had gotten in on the far side of the warren. I quickly found out what had attacked him… and what followed him in."

North looked over at me, concern growing in his eyes before turning back to Jack. "Who was it? How is your place?"

It was then North turned Jack over, and I saw him freeze in shock, more than likely seeing the scarring on the boy's back. After getting over his surprise, he went back to work. We sat in silence until North finished wrapping Jack's injuries, re-dressed him in clean clothing, and tucked him into the sheets, covering him with a blanket. We walked to the other side of the room, and continued the conversation.

"I'm assuming you saw the scarring and figured it out, but it's Pitch; he's back."

North stared at me blankly before leaning on the handrails of the bed nearest him, trying to process this discovery. "How can he be back?" He whispered. "It is too soon for him to be back; we only defeated him within this past year!"

"I know it makes no sense mate, but he is back," I paused, trying to delay the next part. "And he had Jack for a couple of hours earlier today."

North rounded on me. "He what?!" I raised my hands, motioning for him to relax. He complied, taking a moment to calm himself before continuing.

"How did he get ahold of Jack? Weren't you protecting him?"

"Of course I was." I defended myself. "I did my best to fight off Pitch, go look at my warren it is proof enough! The damage is extensive. I'm lucky I am okay; Pitch tried to use his nightmare sand on me, but he must have knew he was weakening and left before he could finish, taking Jack with him. As soon as I woke up I went after Pitch; I knew it was my responsibility."

"You could have contacted us, we could've assisted you."

"There wasn't time. Just look at Jack now, imagine if I had gotten to the Nightmare King's lair any later. Pitch was about to relocate when I ambushed him; thank the sky I did. And now Jack is here, safe. Well, for now, at least."

North nodded, but I could tell he was thinking about something. It didn't appear like it was a good thought either. He seemed puzzled, and turned to look at the winter spirit.

"Did Pitch use his nightmare sand on Jack?"

I nodded, looking solemn. I was sure the sand was deeply rooted into his system, and Jack was probably fighting it already. He was restless in the bed, tossing and turning under the sheets besides his injuries. I could hear him whimpering from across the room. I hoped that Sandy would get here before it became unbearable for Jack, or worse.

North, a look of dread appearing on his face, motioned towards the door before walking to it. I followed, and we exited shutting the door quietly, Phil slipping in to keep an eye on Jack. North turned to me. We walked to the Globe Room, continuing our discussion. We stood in front of the fireplace, and North leaned on the mantle, putting a hand to his forehead.

"So there is nightmare sand inside Jack. Do you know how long has it been there?"

I shrugged. "At least two days now. There might even be some from the battle a few months back."

He simply looked at me with a serious expression on his face.

"You do know what this means, yes?" I nod, being completely aware of the possibility.

"Jack could be overtaken by Pitch; he could be in his complete control, at his mercy…" North quickly turned around, starting to pace.

"Sandy needs to get here as soon as possible; we need to get the sand out of his system. Who knows what damage Pitch could do if-"

The doors burst open, sending a rush of wind in our faces as Phil came rushing into the room, frantic. I felt my heart stop, and Phil ran up to North, yelling something I didn't understand. North tried to calm the yeti, putting his hands out to stop him.

"Phil! Phil! Calm down! What is-"

It was then I saw the dark shadows creeping into the room and a figure looming in the hall. I instantly pulled out my boomerangs, North unsheathing his swords. Both of us took steps forward slowly as elves ran behind us and out of the room in a panic. However, I quickly lowered my weapons when the figure stepped out of the shadows.

It was not Pitch.

It was Jack.

North and I didn't move; even though we had just discussed the possibility, we were not prepared for it to actually happen.

Jack was walking towards us, staff in hand and nightmare sand swirling around him. The ground layered in frost behind him, snow beginning to accumulate as well. The boy's hair was as black as Pitch's, messier than usual. His skin ashen, making the cuts and bruises seem to mix with it. His eyes however, worried me the most; they were black, unseeing, but I felt as if he was staring directly at us. He was smirking, and it sent shivers up my spine how much he resembled the nightmare king. I took a step towards him.

"Jack, if you can hear me-"

I was cut off when a burst of ice was hurdled at my head from his staff. I dodged it easily; Pitch didn't have much control over Jack's aim in this state thankfully. But I knew he could still cause massive destruction. I was sure Pitch knew this as well. I looked at the immortal teen again; the smirk was gone, a frown now in its place. Out of the corner of my eye I could see North was advancing towards him slowly, walking at an angle to avoid Jack's line of sight. I kept his eyes on me. I smirked a little, figuring I could have a little fun with this.

"Okay Jack, you want to go toe-to-toe with the Easter Bunny?" Something similar to a growl came from Jack as he narrowed his eyes, and I saw him raising his staff to throw another attack. North was now standing behind the boy, arm already raised with one of his swords in his hand, handle pointing towards Jack ready to knock the winter spirit unconscious. I felt a pang of guilt, but I knew it had to be done.

"Now!" I shouted, and Jack whipped around only to have North's sword slam into his side, knocking him back into a wall, hard. His head slammed back, and he crumbled to the floor. I raced over with North right behind me, and leaned down to him. He was out like a light bulb, and I could see blood trickling down from somewhere in his hair. I glanced at North angrily.

"Did ya have to punch him so hard, mate?" I muttered. He shrugged guiltily.

"I wanted to make sure I only had to hit him once."

I rolled my eyes a little I hated the fact that we had to hurt him more to help him. I picked the boy up in my arms and walked back into the infirmary to treat his new wound. As I laid him down, his hair and skin slowly turned back to normal. I smiled a little; that had to be a good sign. Quickly, I located the source of his bleeding and dressed the wound. I was just finishing up when Toothiana and Sandman burst through the door.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Toothiana gasped before catching sight of me in front of Jack's bed. She quickly flew over to me, Sandy right behind her. She gasped when she saw the condition of the immortal teen and looked at me in horror.

"Is… is he going to be-"

I rested a hand on her shoulder, smiling a little. "He's gonna be fine, he actually looks worse than he is. Believe me, Tooth. If anybody can pull through this, Jack can." I looked up and North, he was shaking his head.

_Don't tell her about what just happened. She doesn't need to worry more. _He mouthed.

I nodded and looked back at Tooth and Sandy. Tooth continued to look at Jack worried, and Sandy looked at me. He pointed at Jack, then at North and I, then at the door which he floated over to. He motioned with his arms for us to come over. North and I complied, and stood next to him. He made a series of symbols above his head, much too fast for me to follow only picking up that he was asking questions. North however seemed to understand. He whispered quietly so Tooth wouldn't overhear.

"Sandy, Jack was attacked by Pitch. It's not good. We need you to use your dreamsand to pull out the nightmare sand inside him. Pitch has already overshadowed him once, right before you and Tooth came in. Can you do that?"

I bit my lower lip as Sandy looked at us with an expression of shock and concern on his face before nodding slowly. The idea that Pitch was already back was a huge blow, especially to him. Pitch had affected Sandy the most out of any of us during the fight. The concept of him returning and doing _this _to Jack was frightening nonetheless.

Sandy turned around and floated back over to Jack, rising up and sitting on the bed next to him. He looked at North and I, then at Tooth. I nodded, and walked over behind Toothiana. She was standing on the ground next to the bed, holding Jack's hand. Her eyes were wet with tears, and the mini-fairies were silently floating around her.

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey Tooth, why don't we head on out to the Globe Room? Jack could use some peace and quiet."

She looked at me for a moment before turning her head to look at Jack, sleeping quietly now under the covers. Dolphins created from dreamsand danced above his head, Sandy trying to calm his nightmares successfully. I took her free hand, motioning towards the door. She sighed, nodded and lifted off the ground slightly, slowly releasing her hold on Jack's hand. I walked out, looking back at North and Sandy, who quickly sent North out behind me. I held eye contact with Sandy, ears down as I left Jack in his care. The doors shut quietly, and I sighed.

_Come on, Sandy. Make sure Jack comes out alright._


	4. Relieved

***hides under rock* **

**I am so sorry for how late this is! Procrastination man, it really likes to hang around me. ;) This chapter may be a bit…choppy (?) as I stopped and started, and stopped and started again a lot. Its also sorter than the others, but I felt you guys deserved an update! My muse for all my stories simply picked up a left for a bit. But now, surprisingly while I'm pretty down in the dumps, my mind is flowing once more. How odd is it that being sad brings out my muse? Oh well, at least I got writing again! ****  
**

_**oh, and just a heads up, a bit of fluff in this. I'm not saying between who, ya gotta read it. Sorry, I couldn't resist. BUT I do not solely ship it, mmkay? c; **_

**Also! I will be rewriting the first three chapters. No major changes, just revising. After going back through them, man are they messy! Check back often to see the edits. :) **

* * *

Tooth, North, and I were all in the globe room in front of the fire place, the wood's crackle under the burning fire being the only sound. Sandy had been with Jack now for nearly two hours, and I was getting worried.

After the first hour I had started to pace, causing Tooth to watch me worriedly. I felt bad for not telling her about Pitch overshadowing Jack, but I also knew that it would only cause her to be more distraught if she found out.

Trying to distract my mind from worrying about Jack, I wondered how Tooth could even stay here this long. Normally she'd have left by now, making sure to not fall behind schedule in collecting the teeth. However she sat quietly, legs crossed neatly with her wings folded gently behind her in a chair North had the yetis bring in earlier. Her mini-fairies were silent as well, except for Baby Tooth that is.

The little creature had started making noise while I distracted myself, flying all around in a frantic pattern, trying to get us to allow her to see Jack. In a normal circumstance, by now I probably would've told her to shut it and stop moving like the others, but even I couldn't bring myself to be so harsh.

I assumed it was because of how she had bonded with him during the whole Pitch fiasco, smiling a little as the memory came back of Jack grabbing the little hummingbird-fairy right before one of Pitch's nightmare horses nearly got her. It was then I had started to trust Jack; he hadn't needed to stay and help us right then, but he did, and he helped us for the rest of the entire battle, mostly anyways. The kid really was on our side, I just wish I had given him more credit later on.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Phil came into the room. Baby Tooth stopped her irregular flight pattern, and Tooth, North, and I all looked to the yeti who then nodded and turned around, pointing at the door. I ceased my pacing and sprinted past him, Tooth, North, and the mini-fairies right behind me. I stopped directly in front of the infirmary door, hesitating to open it until the other had caught up. Once I felt them behind me, I pushed the door open, poking my head inside.

I saw Sandy sitting on Jack's bed, a tired look on his face as he watched Jack, but he was smiling all the same. He turned his head at the soft sound of the door opening, and his eyes met mine. He nodded at me, motioning for me to enter.

I nodded, coming inside the silent room. I felt a gush of air as Baby Tooth zoomed by me, stopping only once she reached the head of Jack's bed and flying up to his pillow, and I think everyone in the room cracked a smile as she crawled on top of his head and buried herself in his hair. The two really were rather close.

I walked over to Sandy, relief filling me as I looked at Jack. He was now sleeping quietly, his expression relaxed and peaceful. An image of him having a snowball fight with Jamie danced above his head in golden dreamsand, and the glow reflected onto his face, highlighting the normal color of his skin now returned. The dark circles under his eyes were much less prominent, his hair no longer dark with shadows. The bruises and cuts still remained, but they would pass with time. I looked at Sandy gratefully.

"Good job, mate. He looks much, much better." I whispered softly. The Sandman nodded, creating an image of himself next to a dream-Jack, the dream-Sandy pulling strands of darker sand away from dream-Jack and dispersing it. The image changed to one of Pitch with an 'X' over him, and I chuckled a little.

"Thanks, Sandy. Did ya make sure _all_ of the nightmare sand is outta him?" I asked in a hushed tone. For all we know, Pitch could've hidden it away somewhere deep in Jack's mind.

Sandy nodded again however, smiling confidently. He was sure, and that was enough for me.

North and Tooth came up behind me, and I heard North sigh in relief as Tooth flew over to Jack.

"Is everything okay now? What was wrong with him?"

I felt North's eyes on me, and I turned to look at him, silently asking what to tell her. The man sighed and nodded, pointing his head towards the humming-bird hybrid. I turned back to her.

"Uh, he was attacked, ya see, and he came to my warren lookin' for help-"

Tooth's gasp cut me off. "Attacked? By who?"

I scratched the back of my head, wishing to avoid the question. Sandy looked at Jack sadly, and North nudged me while Tooth looked on, her worry increasing by the second. I sighed.

"He was attacked by Pitch. He's…he's back, Tooth."

Her eyes filled with horror. "But... how? We just defeated him, what, not even a year ago? How can he be back? You saw his shadow creatures drag him back to his lair; we all thought he'd be gone for _at least _two years!" her feathers ruffled, and she huffed, beginning to work herself into a panic. Her mini-fairies floated about, all of them squeaking nervously.

Tooth rounded on me, her panic taking over. "Where could he possibly be getting his power? He should still be weak from our battle, shouldn't he?"

I raised a paw to her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "I don't know, Tooth. It's like he told Jack; Ya can't kill fear." I looked her in the eyes, and slowly her expression softened, her muscles relaxing and she landed softly on the ground. Her gaze dropped from mine, and I felt her hand take hold of my own. I barely noticed North and Sandy share a glance before they walked off, leaving just me, Tooth, and the sleeping Jack (with Baby Tooth asleep on his head) in the room.

"He's going to come after him again, you know that." she whispered softly. I put my free paw under her chin and lifted her head gently, flashing a small smile as worry continued to swim in her eyes

"He's gonna come after all of us," I felt her hand tighten a bit around mine. I smiled once more, squeezing her hand softly in return. "But we're gonna be ready for him. He ain't gonna get any of us, not this time." She leaned in a little closer to me, causing me to freeze up just a little as my fur ruffled. She took notice, and I saw her smile and giggle silently, getting back to her cheerful self.

Chuckling, I started to say something when a sudden burst of cold air rushed over us. Startled and a bit confused, we both turned to look to look at Jack, who's eyes were open and was sitting up ever so slightly, Baby Tooth leaning over his forehead, her head resting on her arms. Both of them had their gaze focused on us.

The winter spirit had a small smirk on his face, and Baby Tooth squeaked in a way that sounded like giggles. His voice was quiet and raspy,

"G-Get a room you two."


	5. What happened?

_**/hides again **_

_**I AM SO SORRY! Jeez I'm horrible at updates, aren't I? School and sports and laziness stopped me, as well as other story ideas. So sorry guys.**_

_**So! We're almost done! :D Yay! There may or may not be a sequel from this, we'll see. C:**_

_**So, read, review, and enjoy~**_

* * *

"G-Get a room you two." Jack coughed with a smirk. Instantly, Tooth released her grip on my hands and zipped over to him, pushing him back against the sheets gently.

"Jack!" I heard her voice break a little, "Jack you're okay! Oh thank goodness, you looked awful when Bunny first brought you here- well, you still do but not nearly as much! Oh, I must go fetch North and Sandy, they'll want to know you're up!" she chirped, turning 360o around Jack. He didn't resist as she readjusted his sheets and hushed him up whenever we started to talk. I chuckled, more out of pity then amusement; Tooth was a mother hen to all of us.

Tooth, once she was done fussing over the kid, scooped Baby Tooth up into her hands –much to her displeasure- and rounded on me. "Now Bunny, don't let him get up! I'll be right back! Sandy will probably want to do one more sweep to make sure all the nightmare sand is out of him." Tooth commanded, giving Jack one more look over before flying to the door and out into the hall. Jack and I shared a glance.

"How ya feelin', mate?" I asked, hopping over to the bedside. Tooth was right; he did look much better, but the dark shadows beneath his eyes and cuts and bruises still stood out against his pale skin.

Jack simply shrugged, or tried to and grimaced. "E-Eh," he coughed, "Been…been better."

I smiled slightly, and ruffled his hair, earning a grunt of disapproval from the winter sprite. "Well, at least ya are back with the livin'. Ya had us scared for a while there, we didn' know if ya were gonna still be on 'ur side."

Jack quirked an eyebrow at me, worry filling his features.

"Wha…What do you mean?"

I sighed and sat down on the bed, carefully avoiding the boy's outstretched legs; I probably should have waited to bring this up. But, I guess he would have found out anyway, might as well tell him now.

"Well, ya see Jack, Pitch put…a lot of nightmare sand in ya. More than we thought at first," I started.

"At first, our main concern was gettin' ya patched up and lookin' well, like you, 'cause ya see yer hair was black and yer skin was grey, like-"

"L-Like Pitch's?" Jack finished, his voice faltering.

I nodded grimly. "Yeah, like his. I thought a' first it was just an effect of the sand, but, it di' more than that."

I felt something pull at the fur on my arm, and saw Jack's hand wrapped around it weakly. The fear in his eyes was hard to miss.

"What…what else d-did it do, Bunny?"

I looked at him, debating on whether or not to actually tell him. There was no guarantee it couldn't happen again, and if he knew that then, well, there was a good chance the kid would run; we all knew it. Jack was a fight or flight person, and when it came to hurting others, I'd noticed he tried to take the flight option more often.

The kid was a lot of talk, he really didn't like to get into it with anyone if he didn't have to, heck most of our arguments were just that; words than stung more than fists would anyway. He sometimes took off from those too. I suppose it came from being on his own for three hundred years; he probably learned a lot from running into other spirits, or, us on occasion.

I wasn't always the nicest to mischievous winter spirits.

But it was different now; Jack was a Guardian and part of our odd little family. He was the one who got us together more often than not, he was hesitant, but we can all tell he truly loves it when we agree to hang out. I couldn't blame him; I can't imagine what those first three centuries must've been like; what I personally made them like.

I shuddered, and pulled myself out of my thoughts. Jack was still staring at me, the fear now mixed with worry visible across his face. I sighed once more, leaning back on my free paw. Might as well get it over with.

"Jack…he had control over ya; complete control, like ya were, well, a puppet, and Pitch was the puppeteer. He-"

Jack had bolted upright in the bed, both his hands gripping my shoulders tightly, and I resisted the urge to shiver as I felt them start to become layered in frost. A look of panic had replaced the fear in the boy's eyes, and he asked hastily,

"W-What did he have me d-do?!"

Startled, I pulled his grip off me and pushed him back against the sheets just as Tooth had done, trying to calm him. "Hush now, he didn't make ya do much," I explained, "He had ya get up and flaunt yer powers a bit in North's factory, but we knocked ya back out before he could make ya do much else. Then Sandy got here and he got most of the sand outta ya, so ya should be fine now."

Jack looked at me, finally relaxing and sinking back into the sheets. "So…I-I didn't hurt anyone?"

"Yep, ya merely gave the elves and yetis a scare. 'though, I hear ya do that often anyway."

That got the boy to smile a bit as a soft laugh escaped him, only to be followed by a coughing fit. I got up and tried to find something for him to drink; I wasn't sure how nightmare sand, or dreamsand for that matter tasted like, but I didn't imagine it to be pleasant.

"Hold on, le'me find ya some water or somethin'…"

Eventually his coughing fit ended, and I heard him trying to shift under the sheets. He was going to be sore for a while.

"'ey, come on, mate. Tooth said ya gotta stay in bed for a bit, I know ya don't wanna but-"

"You s-said Sandy got m…most of the sand out, right?" Jack interrupted, his voice shaky again.

I raised an eyebrow and pulled away from the cabinet I'd been looking through. I started to turn around, looking over the cup that was covered in dust in my paws. "Well yeah; Sandy told us he'd gotten all he could find outta ya. Why do ya-"

I stopped, frozen in place as my eyes fell upon Jack. His hair was darkening once more, and he was hunched over on himself, hugging his knees tightly to his chest. His eyes were shut tightly, and I could hear whimpers escaping his lips.

He was fighting for control.

"SANDY!" I bellowed, racing over to Jack and trying to figure out how to help him. I glanced angrily at the door, shouting again.

"North! Tooth! Sandy! Get in here! NOW!"

Jack was clenching his head now, holding it in between his legs and muttering something I couldn't understand. Suddenly I remembered the dreamsand in my pouch, and immediately pulled it out and started untying the thread.

_Bloody Hell, where are they?! Ugh, stupid paws 'n little thread, come untied ya little- Ah, finally! _I mentally cheered as it finally came unfastened and opened up the velvet packet.

"Sorry 'bout this, mate," I whispered as I pushed Jack back against his pillow once more, but didn't pull away. He started to kick out his legs and swing his arms, but I was faster and managed to get a bit of the dream dust on the boy's head, and he fell limp against the sheets.

"Dang…strong stuff, Sandy." I mumbled just as the others burst through the door. Tooth was the first one over, her face panic-stricken.

"What, what?! What happened?!" she screeched, hovering above Jack's unconscious body.

"Pitch got control again," I spat out. North regarded me, as did Sandy. I glared, not necessarily angry with them, but I couldn't help myself. Pitch was going to pay for this.

Tooth however, regained my attention.

"Wait, what do you mean again?!"


	6. What now?

_"Wait, what do you mean again?!"_

I sighed, as the anger and hatred for Pitch instantly subsided to make room for the guilt that filled me for not telling Tooth the full story. North looked to me, obviously feeling the same thing; we didn't really think the whole "Don't tell Tooth" thing through.

"Exactly that, Jack was posed again by Pitch. He was once before, right before you 'n Sandy got 'ere." I said calmly as Tooth lowered to the ground. Her face turned from panic-stricken to anger, then to confusion.

"Why weren't we informed of this then?"

I bit my lip and shrugged sheepishly. "Sandy knows, we told 'im when you lot arrived. We...we didn't wanna tell ya because you were worried enough. I know what stress does to ya..."

Tooth frowned sadly, and turned back to Jack as he slept. I could practically see then gears working in her mind, her motherly instincts trying to take over. She turned back to me, her eyes clouded.

"How is Pitch doing this? I mean, how is he this strong so soon after his defeat? It hasn't even been a year since we beat him, there shouldn't be a way...and when did he learn this trick? How is he able to literally control Jack from such a distance?" She turned to face Sandy.

"Didn't you get all of the nightmare sand out?"

Sandy put a hand to his chin and looked down thoughtfully, dream images of himself working over Jack by spreading his dreamsand in and out of the teen's mind. He looked up at her with confusion in his eyes. He had truly thought he'd gotten it all.

Tooth sighed and turned to North. Sandy and I did the same.

North returned the looks we gave and clapped his hands together. "Well, we should discuss this...away from Jack, I mean. We need a plan, da? We need to figure this out. Sandy, make sure Jack is well asleep; we need to keep him under careful watch. I shall order Phil to guard the boy."

Baby Tooth suddenly shot out from behind Tooth and settled on top of Jack's head with a series of determined chirps. North chuckled and the three of us smiled.

"Baby Tooth can assist in guarding, of course." he said, "There is nothing 'tat shall get past the two of them."

North turned, facing the door and his expression became serious.

"And as for us, we should go and discuss how we are going to proceed. Let us go to the Globe Room. There is no time to waste."

. . .

o

. . .

Not surprisingly, we found ourselves butting-heads at how to handle the situation.

We were all sitting at a table that North had orders the Yetis to bring out in the area where the Russian would usually stand to observe the globe in hope that we'd be able to locate Pitch from a flickering of lights on the believer display. Sadly we had no such luck, but it's not like we would've had a plan on what to do just yet.

Tooth and I wanted to go and approach Pitch before Jack got any worse, before there was any more permanent damage done. I didn't even want to imagine all what the Nightmare King had done to the winter spirit. I had no doubt in my mind he'd enjoyed every minute he'd held Jack captive, and who knows what the nightmares Pitch inflicted onto him contained. The last thing I wanted was for Pitch to have the chance to grab Jack once more and resume the torture he told me he enjoyed giving.

North and Sandy however, we're a bit more on the slide of defense rather than offense

They wanted to make sure Jack was one hundred percent alright before we thought about going to attack the Nightmare King. Which I mean, Tooth and I understood perfectly. We didn't want to leave Jack when he needed us, not in the slightest. But, we couldn't just sit here and wait to see if Pitch took over him again.

"North, we need to just go to Pitch and confront him. We're sitting ducks, Jack is a sitting duck, just waiting for him to come and do whatever he pleases. I don't want to leave Jack any more than you do, I'd much rather stay to be honest and make sure he's okay, but waiting isn't going to do a thing!" Tooth said as she fluttered above her seat. She never was one to stay still during tension.

North merely sighed and pinched the brink of his nose, resting his elbows in the table. "We do not know where Pitch is, we do not know how he is doing this, nor do we know if he can do this to any of us while he is doing this to Jack. To rush in without this knowledge would be disastrous."

"Well what good is sittin' around 'ere gonna do? Nothin'! North, Jack is just a sittin' target, practically waitin' for Pitch to try and taken him over again! And you know 'e will North!" I argued, standing up from my chair.

"We need to do somethin', and do it soon. We can't let 'im think 'e can get away with this. We don't want 'im to think 'e's owns, even for a minute. We need to act now, North," I lowered my voice and looked back towards the infirmary wing. "We need to."

The current situation really was mostly my fault, I realized. If I had just helped Jack from the start and not have left him...well, maybe he'd be in better shape. Maybe he wouldn't be so hurt, so weak in defense against Pitch's dominance in his mind. Heck of I'd just of brought him to the Pole in the first place, maybe he'd be better already and back to normal. We wouldn't need to be so worried...so scared.

I felt a hand lay on my shoulder, and I looked back to see North staring down at me; I always forgot how quiet he really was able to move around.

And how good his perception of what others were thinking was."Bunny, this is not your fault. You did what you could, what you thought was right. Was it best? Do not matter now, what is done is done. We mustn't look back now," North said calmly before his voice developed a tone of hatred, "There is no one to blame but Pitch. This is his doing, not yours. He attacked you too, you fought and did your best, that is all we, and Jack, could have asked for. You have done your part. Now, we must plan ours. We must work together to put a stop to Pitch once more, and hopefully, a long, long, long time."

North turned to face Tooth and Sandy who'd come over to the two of us already. Sandy had a look of determination on his face, and he held up a two-thumbs up. Tooth nodded, smiling as she lifted off the ground. She regarded the two of us before fluffing out her feathers, and a spark of confidence flashed in her eyes.

I grinned at them and back at North before standing up straighter, feeling the hope that now filled the room pulse through me. I couldn't help it; I just knew we were going to defeat him, there was no way Pitch would ever get away.

But what I didn't know, was that the shadows in the room had been listening the entire time.

A menacing laugh vibrated through the factory, causing all of the elves and Yetis to immediately stop what they were doing in fear, for they'd all heard that laugh before. One I was sure had haunted them all for weeks. One that no one had ever wanted to hear again.

Immediately, the four of us backed up against each other, forming a tight circle of defense as we all scanned the room. I risked a glance towards the hall leading to the infirmary, and hope to Man in Moon that Jack would be safe with Phil and Baby Tooth. They'd protect him, even if we couldn't. Because I was sure He had not come alone.

I was right.

Hundreds of Nightmares suddenly dashed out of the darkest corners of the factory, crashing into newly-made toys, workstations, and terrifying the poor elves and Yetis in their way. They all whined and screeched, their awful voices bouncing off the walls, mixing almost perfectly with the laughter that finally subsided as the Boogeyman himself stepped out of the shadows, mouth wide in a toothy grin and eyes full of statins faction. He'd perched himself atop the globe, glancing down at us from above. He chuckled before slowly descending halfway, stopping once he'd reached the equator. I felt his eyes bear into mine.

"Oh, what a lovely day it has been, my dear Guardians. Such a grand day for me, actually," he boasted, "So many plans, so many things going right! It's a bit of déjà vu, wouldn't you say? Hopefully this time round will be in my favor, hmm?"

I gripped a boomerang tightly in one paw, resisting every instinct that told me to impale Pitch's head with it. I looked at the others, and found them all glaring up menacingly at Pitch. North took a step forward and raised one of his swords.

"Pitch, you coward! You attack Jack from behind, you use tricks and shadows to get him and halt Bunny. But you are all out of tricks, no? We have seen what you can do, and we all know how this ends!"

Pitch slow clapped, pretending to be saddened. "Oh yes, it's always the same! I'm always dragged back into the darkness, away from the light I do not deserve. You Guardians always win, you have always, so why would you not now?" He vanished into a shadow, and reappeared in the rafters above us.

"Well now I have something that I've never had before. I have a new weapon, a new...toy, if you must," he chuckled, "A rather fun play-thing. And just think I haven't even begun to use it to its fullest extent! Imagine what I can do with the powers he will command under me-"

I couldn't hold back my anger any longer, and I sent two boomerangs targeted directly for Pitch's head. Annoyingly, he merely fell back into his shadow and reappeared somewhere on the other side of the floor, his laughter echoing.

"Oh temper, temper, Bunnymund." He taunted, slowly stepping over towards us, "What? Do you not like the sound of that? Why not? The boy has been nothing but trouble hasn't he? He caused your Warren to become the wreck it is now! And how he uses his powers in the mortal world, all the damage he has done and _lives_ he's taken with his cold? Haven't you ever thought of that?"

I saw Tooth's feathers ruffle, and one of Sandy's dreamsand whips flickered for a moment before returning to full strength. I glared at where I believed Pitch to be lurking, rage filling and blocking out the hope I'd felt only moments ago.

I responded through clenched teeth, "Jack never meant any harm to anyone, not a single _soul_, Pitch. 'e was not the one who destroyed my home. 'e is not the one who connected 'is emotions to 'is powers. And 'e certainly wasn't the one who decided 'e'd be alone for three hundred years. You know what solitude does to someone, how it changes them. I bet you know rather well what it does. I sure do. I 'member what it felt like, when you killed 'em. When you killed the others."

I felt Tooth's hand brush up against my arm, but I kept going. "I 'member what it felt like, what it feels like. To be the last of yer kind, to be truly and solely alone. But ya know what? I was strong through it. And Jack's stronger than you believe 'im to be. 'e's overcome the emotions 'e faced all those years ago. 'E ain't alone anymore, and 'e got better control now. 'E never meant to do a single thin' wrong. That's why you want 'im though. That's why 'e confuses you, intrigues you. In some ways, yeah, 'e's a lot like you. But 'e ain't the same as you. 'E knows what's right and wrong, 'e knows when 'nough is 'nough.

"'E 'as a soul, Pitch. Somethin' you don't, somethin' you lost a long time ago," I growled, moving farther out from the others to edge closer to the shadows. I straightened, and stared furiously into the darkness.

"Jack is one of us, 'e's ours. And we ain't gonna let you hurt 'im anymore."

The golden eyes that suddenly pierced through the shadows didn't frighten me, neither did the laughter that echoed once more throughout the factory.

But there was another sound that froze me to the spot

A scream.

A loud, blood-chilling scream that brought forth the coldest wind I'd ever felt, one that could have only come from one person and one person only.

"JACK!" Someone screeched his name, but I was already moving. Around the globe, through the doors, down the twisting hallways; I was only running on instinct now, nothing registered, no thoughts ran through my mind save one,

_Get to Jack. Get to him. Go. Don't stop. Keep going. Hurry. Go. Now. NOW! _

I burst through the doors to the infirmary on all fours, boomerangs at the ready and eyes scavenging the room for its single occupant. But all I saw was a cloud of blackness and swirling darkness. Laughter echoed in my ears, and my body suddenly stopped, frozen.

To the left, Phil was trying to push back a herd of nightmares that had him trapped in the far corner of the room. Baby Tooth could be seen within one of the creatures, ramming against its ribcage in a fury.

Right in the middle of the room, Pitch stood among a walk of shadows, teeth bared in a cruel smile and his form dispersing by the second. And in his arms, lay Jack with his skin turning ashen, his hair fading to black, and his mouth parted in the last moments of a scream. His blue eyes met my green, and just as the shadows engulfed them both, he called out

"Help me!"

And then, they were gone.

* * *

_Erm…yeah, this story just grew into a few more chapters and the sequel is being planned. Just sayin'. Oh, and I know where to go with "Nightmare of an Immortal Winter Spirit", so that'll be coming off hiatus soon. _

_I can't help my procrastination nor do I have a solid reason behind it, and for that I apologize. I'm…going through a lot right now and I'm not always in the best state of mind to even try to right. I won't go into detail but, just know there's a lot going on in my head currently. _

_The only reason I've been working on this as of late is because of the free time I've had at school…I, I finished it today sadly due to the death of a classmate, and we didn't really have classes. I, I needed a distraction. The death was sudden and there was absolutely no warning. I'm only in tenth grade. He was only 16. Stuff like this isn't supposed to happen._

_But, the teachers were kind and today was the day to get everything out. A lot of crying and talking happened today…with only fourteen days left of school, this only added to the stress. We're all sort of out of it. _

_However we'll be getting back into routine come Thursday. Once the calling hours and funeral are over, we'll be trying to get things back to normal. Hopefully the rest of the year will run smoothly._

_Well…that's all I really have to say. Review as always…_


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